Category: You Are MIne

I took the plunge today. I opened an account in Createspace and intend on self publishing my second novel, You Are Mine. I did win an award last year for this novel at the Blueridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. Third in Fiction: Speculative/Mystery/Suspense.

After reading from other writers/authors about finding a publisher or self publishing, I was more and more convinced to just self publish. It isn’t just finding a publishing company, one also has to find an agent. Both tasks are next to impossible. A writer needs the proper query letter and expect rejection after rejection. Most publishing companies will not look at a writer unless they have an agent. And unless you have an angle or a shtick, an agent won’t look at you.

Now I have opened an account in Createspace. My novel has already gone through a thorough edit. Any author who is worthwhile, will tell you to edit, edit and edit even more. Especially if you are going to self publish. Anyone who tells you they can successfully edit their own work, well, I won’t even look at that person’s book. Although there is one author, who I greatly respect, who does a really thorough job of editing before submitting her book to her publisher. But they still edit her work.

You Are Mine will be published by Createspace. While I am going through this process, I am working on my third novel. Right now I don’t have a title for it but it is a paranormal story. At times, it frightens me. My imagination is pretty lively. But I have a story to tell with this book and with the support of God, I will finish it.

This is Shelby Norstrom from the online website, Love Interests, a forum on relationship issues. We ask hard questions but provide solid answers from people who have been there. Today we are happy to introduce Sarah Grifton, lead vocalist with the very popular Christian rock band, Forever Yours. We are so happy we finally managed to catch Sarah who is in between gigs.

Hello, Sarah and thank you for being here today with Love Interests. And I love your singing voice Sarah. It has to be one of the best voices I have heard in a very long time.

Hello Shelby and thank you for the compliment. It is a pleasure for me to be here.

Sarah, can you tell me as a Christian person, how is it that you are now divorced from you husband? How are you able to reconcile being Christian and being divorced?

(Sarah sighs.) Well, for one thing, my ex left me. I did not leave him. And our marriage had not been a good one.

How do you mean your marriage was not a good one? Did it have anything to do with Bill not being a Christian?

(Sarah shakes her head.) Bill is very career oriented. Having things meant a lot to Bill. He always stressed having a high paying job and having the vacations, the big house, the cars. He thought that should be every person’s goal. You couldn’t have those things if you didn’t have a high paying job in a good company. Bill wasn’t very happy that I spent so much time with the church and then with Forever Yours.

I guess Bill didn’t know the Bible.

No, unfortunately not. At least, he kept ridiculing me and the children for going to church. He said it was a waste of time.

How did you meet Bill? I thought you were high school sweethearts.

Well, we met in high school, that’s true. At that time, it was expected to get married right out of high school. When Bill and I started dating, he didn’t want me to go to university while he was studying. (Sarah shrugs her shoulders.) I just thought that I would go to university later. All of our friends were getting married and they kept asking us when we would follow suit. I guess, it was just expected.

Was Bill a good father?

(Sarah bites on her lower lip.) He was when the children were young. But as he climbed the corporate ladder and the children got into their teens, things changed. His expectations for them grew. He kept telling them that without a business or science degree, they would not get a corporate job. He kept buying things or taking us on vacations and then saying that without a good job they could not have these things.

What did Bill think of your oldest daughter becoming an archaeologist?

(Sarah closes her eyes.) He was really angry. But then he did not see her graduate from university with her archaeology degree.

Where is Bill now?

(Sarah inhales and lets her breath out slowly.) We aren’t sure. (She hesitates.) I have tried to locate him but he is somewhere in Europe. We just aren’t certain where he is. I’m sorry, Shelby, but I just can’t go into any more of this. (Sarah gets out of her chair and leaves the stage.)